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Heartstoppers; we take a look at the top 30 playoff moments of pro basketball's last 30 years

Basketball Digest, May-June, 2004 by Brett Ballantini, Irwin Soonachan

IN A FORGOTTEN PENNSYLVANIA warehouse, there's a T-shirt with a fading, peeling transfer. "Philadelphia 76ers--1977 NBA Champs." In a back room out west among the redwoods sits a stack of unstuck bumper stickers: "Portland Trail Blazers--2000 Western Conference Champions." In the homes of Cleveland Cavaliers fans throughout Ohio are tickets to the 1989 Eastern semifinals and finals, stubs intact.

Those '77 Sixers were a bulldozer of talent toppled by the Big Red Machine. The '00 Blazers were victimized by Big Chief Triangle and his magic war drum. The '89 Cavs? The mere thought of Michael Jordan still triggers fans in Cleveland to beat their chests and wail.

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The pain of these disappointments is part and parcel in compiling a list of the very greatest playoff moments. Several names from the recent past are intertwined throughout the 30 greatest playoff moments of the past 30 years, including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Isiah Thomas--and to a man they've felt both joy and pain under the NBA's brightest lights, just like their fans have.

For this, the last feature celebrating our 30th season covering pro basketball, we polled hundreds of team executives, former players, sportswriters, and media members to determine what playoff moments jumped out at them as the most unforgettable. Our results, as well as a list of the next 30 biggest, follow.

BABYFACED MVP Magic stepped in and delivered the Larry O'Brien Trophy to L.A.

One day in a quiet retirement home, someone will whisper "1.9" to an older gentleman with angular features and a slowed, but still-massive wingspan. And Scottie Pippen will jump up and chase that smart aleck away as fast as his cane can carry him.

1. Magic's MVP

1980 NBA Finals, Game 6

In Game 5 two days earlier, Los Angeles Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sprained his ankle and was questionable for Game 6 vs. the Philadelphia 76ers. Coach Paul Westhead, decided to hold Abdul-Jabbar out, saving him for a potential Game 7 in Los Angeles.

The 76ers never made it back to L.A., though. Six-nine rookie point guard Magic Johnson got the start at center, prompting Sixers center Caldwell Jones to ask as Magic lined up before the opening tip: "Really?"

Johnson boxed Jones off the boards all night, ignited a high-octane offensive attack with the veteran Abdul-Jabbar sidelined, and scored 42 points, grabbed 15 boards, and dished seven assists. The Lakers won the title, 123-107.

2. "The Shot"

1989 Eastern first round, Game 5

It is known, in Chicago and especially in Cleveland, as "The Shot." It was replayed on television hundreds of times, to the agony of Cavaliers fans and the ecstasy of Bulls faithful. It was one single basket, yet it played an key role in the futures of not one but two NBA teams.

With the series tied 2-2, Game 5 came down to the closing seconds, and it was Michael Jordan time.

Starting from the right side, Jordan dribbled toward the key and rose up for a jumper from inside the circle. Craig Ehlo, one of Cleveland's top defenders, leaped to block the shot, but Jordan hung in the air until Ehlo was out of his way, then released his shot. As the ball swished through the net, Jordan pumped his fists in jubilation, completing a video highlight for the ages.

"That play was 'Give the ball to Michael and everyone else get the &$*# out of the way," Bulls coach Doug Collins said afterward.

Kevin Garnett, 12, was sitting at home in Maudlin, S.C., watching the game. "After watching Michael jump over Ehlo, make that shot and win that game, my life changed," he says. "Basketball became my world. It meant everything to me. I actually studied that shot, watched the way he kicked his legs when he released the ball, and flicked his wrists. That inspired me. So I went fight outside and started kicking my legs, flicking my wrist, and celebrating."

Two years later, the Bulls won their first of six NBA titles. Cleveland, meanwhile, has yet to reach the NBA Finals.

3. MJ's (Second) Finale

1998 NBA Finals, Game 6

With the Bulls down 87-84, Jordan drove the length of the court and, curiously uncontested, laid in a basket to bring Chicago within one. But leading 87-86 with 37 seconds left, the Utah Jazz were still well in control of Game 6.

However, the Jazz were running the clock down when Jordan stripped the ball from Karl Malone. Predictably, the ball would never leave Jordan's hands: Without taking a timeout, Jordan strolled the ball upcourt. At the 5.2-second mark, Jordan let fly a 20-foot jumper. After it splashed through, giving Chicago an 88-87 lead, Jordan held his form for a second and then turned downcourt. Jordan's final basket as a Bull gave Chicago its sixth title in eight years.

4. Dr. J's Layup

1980 NBA Finals, Game 4

Julius Erving's masterpiece was one of those rare, electrifying moments that redefines the capabilities of humankind. Early in the fourth quarter he drove past his defender, Mark Landsberger, toward the basket on the fight side of the court. When 7'2" Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stepped in the way, Dr. J swung his fight arm--and the basketball--behind the backboard, and floated past Abdul-Jabbar. Then, still gilding through the air, he managed to swing back around and used reverse English to flip in the layup on the other side. The Philadelphia crowd was momentarily stunned before bursting into cheers.

Heartstoppers; we take a look at the top 30 playoff moments of pro basketball's last 30 years

Basketball Digest, May-June, 2004 by Brett Ballantini, Irwin Soonachan

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